diff --git a/.github/actions/validate-deployment-settings/action.yml b/.github/actions/validate-deployment-settings/action.yml
index aff97a1..248099c 100644
--- a/.github/actions/validate-deployment-settings/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/validate-deployment-settings/action.yml
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ runs:
       shell: bash
       run: |
         majors_only_in_prerelease=$(jq --compact-output --raw-output \
-          '.deployment.${{ inputs.target }} | (.Prerelease.spack | keys) - (.Release.spack | keys) | @sh' \
+          '.deployment.${{ inputs.target }} | (.Prerelease | keys) - (.Release | keys) | @sh' \
           ${{ inputs.settings-path }}
         )
 
@@ -46,8 +46,21 @@ runs:
       # It then merges them together based on major version (Ex. [[{"0.20": "u298rer3", "0.20": "r98u349u"}], ...]).
       # And then finally compares the hashes for each major version, and returns the major versions where they differ.
       run: |
-        release_version_hashes=$(jq '.deployment.${{ inputs.target }}.Release.spack | to_entries' ${{ inputs.settings-path }})
-        prerelease_version_hashes=$(jq '.deployment.${{ inputs.target }}.Prerelease.spack | to_entries' ${{ inputs.settings-path }})
+        release_version_hashes=$(jq \
+          '.deployment.${{ inputs.target }}.Release
+          | [
+              keys[] as $major | .[$major].spack as $hash
+              | {($major): $hash} | to_entries[]
+            ]' ${{ inputs.settings-path }}
+        )
+
+        prerelease_version_hashes=$(jq \
+          '.deployment.${{ inputs.target }}.Prerelease
+          | [
+              keys[] as $major | .[$major].spack as $hash
+              | {($major): $hash} | to_entries[]
+            ]' ${{ inputs.settings-path }}
+        )
 
         unequal_hashes_for_version=$(jq --compact-output --raw-output --null-input \
           --argjson r "$release_version_hashes" \
@@ -79,8 +92,16 @@ runs:
       run: |
         gh repo clone access-nri/spack ${{ env.CHECKOUT_DIR }} -- --no-checkout --bare --filter=blob:none
 
-        # Essentially, pull out all the spack 'version: hash' sections and iterate
-        jq -cr '.deployment.${{ inputs.target }}[].spack | to_entries[] | "\(.key) \(.value)"' ${{ inputs.settings-path }} | while read -ra line; do
+        # Essentially, pull out all the spack 'major: hash' sections and iterate
+        version_hashes=$(jq --compact-output --raw-output \
+          '.deployment.${{ inputs.target }}[]
+            | keys[] as $major | .[$major].spack as $hash
+            | "\($major) \($hash)"' \
+          ${{ inputs.settings-path }}
+        )
+
+        # For each of the version hashes, check if $hash is in releases/v$major
+        while read -ra line; do
           version=${line[0]}
           hash=${line[1]}
           echo "Checking if $hash is in $version"
@@ -88,7 +109,7 @@ runs:
             echo "::${{ inputs.error-level }}::Commit $hash does not exist on branch releases/v$version"
             failed=true
           fi
-        done
+        done <<< "$version_hashes"
 
         if [ -n $failed ]; then
           msg="Some commits referenced do not exist in access-nri/spack. Check the workflow logs."